denis mcdonough comes from the foreign policy shop. he has been deputy national security director. his was one of the faces around the table in the situation room during the bin laden raid. he goes back to the senate days with obama. he replaces jack lew, nominated to run the treasury department. >>> mitt romney, who has disappeared from public life since the election, was spotted today having surfaced in washington. he and his wife were saluted by the marriott corporation. his staff did not allow any media at the event. he will also attend the annual bipartisan alfalfa club dinner saturday night. >>> with the president now six days into his second term, a whole lot of republicans across this country are thinking about how things might have turned out differently. especially if the rules for electing presidents were different. the argument goes this way. the way the electoral college works is outdated, and it's about time those rules were changed. our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: if republican proposals in key states to change the way we elect the preside